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THE UNION LEAGUE, 



AND 



THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN PHILADELPHIA. 



The public mind being free from other exciting topics, the 
present is a favorable time for a dispassionate consideration of 
the political situation in Philadelphia, and the complications 
in which, in that connection, the Union League has become 
involved ; and such an inquiry is also appropriate now, in view 
of the pending revision of the fundamental law of the State, 
and reformatory movements elsewhere; and it is a subject 
that commends itself to the earnest attention of eve-y one 
who desires the welfare of this community. 

In order that my position may not be misunderstood, it is 
proper to premise that the results of our late elections, Na- 
tional and State, were entirely in accord with my own views. 
Nor is it necessary to my purpose that I should question but 
that the persons returned as elected in Philadelphia received 
a majority of legal votes, though that may really admit of 
very grave doubt. There were to be filled, however, several 
offices yielding large and tempting revenues, under the stim- 
ulus of which, and the impetus which election frauds have 
gained, it is not to be doubted that there were cast and 
counted, at the election in this city in October last, many 
thousands of illegal votes, and that fraudulent practices in 
the conduct of the election attained a height unparalleled in 

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F/St 

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the annals of our city. Under the old law for the selection of 
election officers, the Democracy of the Fourth Ward and a 
few other localities being strong enough to secure all the elec- 
tion officers and have everything their own way, were able 
to, and did, frequently turn the political scale by means of 
what was then familiarly called ballot-box stuffing, and other 
frauds, resulting frequently, as will be remembered, in con- 
tested elections which generally went against them. As an 
offset to this the Republican party, having control of the 
Legislature, procured the enactment of the registry law, 
which in effect gave to them the selection of the election 
officers throughout the city, and election frauds, which had 
before been confined mostly to a few localities, became gen- 
oral, and assumed proportions commensurate with the facili- 
ties thus afforded by one party having virtually the control 
of the entire machinery of the elections. 

]^o description can adequately portray the alarming extent 
to which the elective franchise, the dearest right of our people, 
has been nullified by fraud. Our elections have become a mere 
farce. The people of Philadelphia are no longer a free people, 
enjoying the right of self-government. They are ruled by a 
combination of men who seek only their own aggrandizement 
at the expense of the people, and maintain and perpetuate their 
power by fraud, and a monarchy would be preferable. Imagine 
the election officers all over the city servants and adherents of 
a ring of unscrupulous politicians, in league and constant com- 
munication during the election with outside parties, swelling 
the list of votes for their party by false personation, repetition, 
and every species of fraud their infernal ingenuity can invent, 
and resolved at all events to secure success by false returns, if 
necessary ! What chance have honest voters against such a 
combination ? It is not proposed to go into detailed proof of 
the existence of this state of things ; it is too well known to 
need it. Nor is it pretended that, with the present system of 
conducting elections, it would be any better under Democratic 
rule. Most likely it would be worse, if that were possible. 

To complete the story of our wrongs reference must be made 
to the vast amounts of the people's money which go annually 



in one form or another into the pockets of dishonest officials, 

^ this forming the chief incentive on their part for poisoning by 

* fraud the fountain and source of all our rights — the elective 

1 franchise — thereby depriving the people of their only means 

of redress. 

My desire is, if possible, to arouse the people of Philadel- 
phia, and espeeiall} T the well-meaning portion of the members 
of the Union League, to a proper sense of the danger of the 
situation. It is a matter of the most serious importance to 
ourselves and our children. If Republican governments have 
not the power to purge themselves of such corruption, they 
cannot endure. Thus far these evils have been confined mostly 
to our large cities, but if they cannot be checked there, they 
must soon contaminate the whole country, and be beyond rem- 
edy, except by a more effective form of government, to be born 
perhaps of bloodshed and revolution. 

In the dark days of the war, when the institutions in which 
are centred our hopes for ourselves and our posterity were 
threatened by rebellion, we turned with a feeling of pride, as 
well as security, to the Union League ; but alas ! though prov- 
ing itself a tower of strength against treason, it seems to have 
succumbed to the more insidious enemy, domestic corruption. 
Though it gave promise of help in this direction when, two 
years or more ago, it took one of the first steps in favor of a 
revision of our State constitution, its voice has since been 
hushed in ominous silence upon these questions. It is my de- 
sire to treat this subject with perfect frankness, and, there- 
fore, I concede the paramount importance of the re-election of 
General Grant to the Presidency, thereby putting at rest, we 
may hope forever, the old issues of the war ; and I am willing 
to make due allowance for the fear, though not felt by my- 
self, that a failure to carry Pennsylvania in October might 
have endangered the election in November; but I maintain 
that there was no reason why the Union League should not 
have discriminated in favor of local reform in Philadelphia, 
but, on the contrary, every reason why it should have done 
so ; and that, failing in this, it should have put itself right 
when the question wns presented at the late annual meeting, 



and that there is now a daily growing necessity, not less for 
its own sake than that of the people of Philadelphia, that the 
League should speak out for the right, and exert its utmost 
power in favor of municipal reform, and to restore the purity 
of the ballot-box ; and such action is alike demanded by the best 
interests of the Republican party. 

Having permitted itself to be made the tool of a circle of 
professional politicians, who have managed to control the Re- 
publican party in this city, the League has made itself respon- 
sible for all the frauds that have been perpetrated under their 
sanction, and made itself a sharer in the disgrace which at- 
taches to them. It has even so far assumed the responsibili- 
ties of the Republican party in this city as by its committee 
to denounce as renegades all Republicans who failed to sup- 
port the whole ticket, making no exception of the many thou- 
sands of Republicans, who, from the highest and purest mo- 
tives, supported a local ticket formed upon a non-partisan 
basis with a view to much-needed reform. 

In thus suffering itself to be merged in and become the 
instrument of a mere political party the League has sacrificed 
its high character and position as an independent organiza- 
tion, and departed wholly from the purposes for which it was 
founded. It was organized from motives of the purest and 
most exalted patriotism, to concentrate and give effect to the 
Union sentiment of Philadelphia in support of the Govern- 
ment in its efforts for the suppression of the rebellion. It 
was well understood among its founders that it was not to 
be, strictly speaking, a political, and much less a party insti- 
tution. Its platform was and is broad enough to include all 
true and loyal men of whatever party, and loyal Democrats 
as well as Republicans became members. The original arti- 
cles of the Association set forth its object as follows : 

1. The condition of membership shall be unqualified loyalty to the Govern- 
ment of the United States, and unwavering support of its efforts for the 
suppression of the rebellion, 

2. The primary object of the Association shall be to discountenance and 
rebuke, by moral and social influences, all disloyalty to the Federal Govern- 
ment, and to that end the associators will use every proper means in public 
and private. 



The preamble to the act of incorporation contains the fol- 
lowing clause : " Whereas, au Association has been formed 
in the city of Philadelphia for the purpose of fostering and 
promoting the love of republican government, aiding in the 
preservation of the Union of the United States," &c. And 
the first section of the first article of the by-laws is in these 
words : " The members of the Union League of Philadelphia 
shall support the Constitution of the United States, discoun- 
tenance by moral and social influences all disloyalty to the 
Federal Government, encourage and maintain respect for its 
authority, compliance with its laws, and acquiescence in its 
measures for the enforcement thereof, and for the suppression 
of insurrection, treason, and rebellion, as duties obligatory 
upon every American citizen." 

From this review of the declared objects of the League it 
is very apparent that it was designed to be an independent 
institution, and not the mere instrument of a political party. 
These quotations breathe a spirit of pure and lofty patriotism 
far above the intrigues and the trickery that have ever, in a 
greater or less degree, characterized political parties, and the 
disgrace of which the League must expect to share if it stoop 
to maintain any such coalition. The action of the board of 
directors in proposing the amendments to the by-laws 
that were offered at the last annual meeting significantly 
indicates the lowering tone of the management. In criticiz- 
ing; the action of the directors, in order not to be misunder- 
stood, I must say that I know a number of them personally 
and by reputation well enough to believe that they would not 
stoop to anything dishonorable, unless by yielding to others, 
and from want of due consideration. Disgusted with the 
elements which have been allowed gradually to gain ascen- 
dency in the League, a number of its best members have 
resigned, and many more shown a disposition to do so. With 
a view to check this, so stated by the spokesman of the direc- 
tors at the annual meeting, they originated and proposed an 
amendment to the by-laws, increasing the initiation fee from 
$25 to $100, after their first meeting in January, and limiting 
the number of members to 2000, thereby holding up in ter- 



6 

rorem to all disaffected parties the idea that if they withdrew 
they could not return if they desired, at least without payment 
of a much larger fee for initiation. This action clearly betrays 
the trickery of the politician as distinguished from the high- 
toned manliness and frankness becoming the Union League 
of 1862. If honesty of purpose, and true loyalty to the char- 
acter and reputation of the League had been the motive, 
would not the causes of dissatisfaction have been inquired 
into and removed, instead of seeking to counteract them by 
trickery? Again, the by-laws specially provide that the 
board of directors u shall not permit the opening of a bar for 
the sale of liquors in the house, or on the premises of the 
League." Notwithstanding which, on the nights of elections, 
the directors, in response no doubt to the cravings of the par- 
ticular class of politicians who seem to have been step by step 
gaining influence over them, have permitted special arrange- 
ments to be made for the sale of liquors, with a special corps 
of attendants in that particular department, thereby convert- 
ing the League House into a groggery. 

It is of the highest importance to its members, and this 
community generally, that the League shall maintain its in- 
dividuality and independence, with an eye single to the public 
good, as in its earlier days ; but that, at all events, it be defi- 
nitel}' known what its future course is to be. If it is to be 
run in the future in the special interest of a ring of politicians 
who seem to regard it as their especial privilege to govern this 
city for their own advantage, regardless of the means that 
may be necessary to maintain their power, let it be known. 
In the one case it will continue to be an honor to itself, to its 
founders, and this community, as heretofore. In the other it 
will become an engine of greater mischief in the future than 
it has ever been of good in the past. If it is to be a Philadel- 
phia " Tammany," it should be compelled, as far as can be, by 
a direct issue made upon the question, to raise the Tammany 
flag, and allowed to sail under no false colors, so that none 
may be deceived. 

It is to be hoped that the League has sufficient self-respect 
remaining to make the effort, through its present authorities, 



to throw off the stigma which its political associations have 
brought upon it ; but if not, then the remedy is with the indi- 
vidual members through that article of the by-laws which 
provides for a special meeting, at any time, for any specified 
object, on the request, in writing, of fifty members, or at the 
next annual meeting, or whenever opportunity may offer to 
meet the question. 

Members of the League, a serious responsibility rests with 
you. Many of you are rarely seen at the League House, and 
seldom take any further part as members than to pay your 
annual assessment, but. the influence of your names, as well 
as your contributions, are being made subservient to a political 
faction in furtherance of their design to maintain themselves 
in possession of all the lucrative offices of the city, and to use 
and pervert them to maintain their own power in opposition 
alike to your interests and those of the people at large, resist- 
ing all reforms, and nullifying by fraud the sacred franchise 
upon which depend all our rights as a free people. Will you 
suffer the Union League to be thus prostituted? The remedy 
is in your own hands. That a large majority of the members 
of the League are in favor of the right, and against the wrong, 
there can be no doubt. It is only necessary that they should 
act together, and each one do his duty, as every patriotic citi- 
zen should. It is not proposed that the League shall identify 
itself with the Reform party, if there may be said to be such 
a party more than any other, but that it shall entirely throw 
off the shackles of party, declare and maintain its individuality 
and independence, and exert its influence in favor of reform 
measures, and protect the sacred right of the ballot. 

A Republican Member of the League. 

Philadeli-hia, March, 1873. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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